Dark Passenger
by Neo Draco
Summary: Ami and her dark counterpart, Hitomi, work to seek demons darker than themselves, in the process, forsaking and alienating the rest of the Senshi. But when one of them is kidnapped and held at the mercy of a sadistic killer, the Senshi must trust their former ally, who races against the clock to seek out a murderer as crafty as herself and rescue the Senshi he's taken prisoner.
1. Not The First Rodeo

Ami sat in a chair in her bedroom, which doubled as her study, idly swiveling back and forth as she thought. Her computer screen displayed an article depicting the discovery of the bodies of three young girls, each at various stages of decay. Other newspaper clippings covered the surface of the desk around the computer, each chronicling the discovery of several other bodies as well as the arrest of the man thought responsible.

Opening a new tab in her browser program, she called up the Sexual Offender Registry and found who she was looking for. Asakuma Kira was a known pedophile after he was arrested and charged with the molestation of a young girl from his neighborhood nearly twenty years before. After serving fifteen years, he was released and his information added to the registry. Some time later, bodies of young girls began to appear. An observant detective with the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department noticed that all of the girls matched the age and physical description of Asakuma's first victim. Only now, it seemed he had learned a lesson from his arrest and conviction. He wasn't leaving them alive.

Asakuma would have been back behind bars if it had not been for the way the case had been handled. Key pieces of evidence had been lost while the police had acted in a way that made them look like vicious brutes. Asakuma's lawyer had argued that his client had been detained due to nothing more than a stereotype due to his unfortunate past. He had make Asakuma look like a victim of society and circumstance but Ami knew better, the police knew better, dogs knew better.

But Justices of the Peace must follow the law in both letter and spirit, Asakuma was set free and, predictably, the body count rose once more.

Staring at the photograph of her target, Ami felt something dark stir within her, "Good evening, Hitomi."

"Hitomi", as the psychopathic entity called herself, had been Ami's constant companion ever since a terrible accident had left her with cybernetic limbs to replace the ones lost in the crash and subsequent explosion. Born of the emotional and psychological turmoil of this life-changing event, Hitomi had asserted herself as everything Ami was not; aggressive, arrogant, abusive, and violent.

_Is this our new playmate_? Hitomi asked.

"I think so."

Hitomi had access to Ami's knowledge and eidetic memory, _He's been a very naughty boy,_ she observed, reviewing the research Ami had gathered.

"Indeed. When would you like to pay him a visit?"

_Do you have anything scheduled_?

"No, nothing written down," Ami replied, checking her calendar.

_Do you have the information?_

Ami examined her computer screen, locking Asakuma's contact information into her memory, "I'm ready when you are."

_Tonight, then._

Ami found that the best way to control Hitomi's violent urges was to allow her to use them but only under Ami's strict supervision and only on targets she approved that met certain, very strict, requirements. This agreement was advantageous to them both. Hitomi got the release she needed while Ami gained the control she desired and the knowledge, as well as the satisfaction, that another danger to society had gotten their retribution, sent to the judgment of whatever god they wished.

Though Hitomi had no direct control, except that which Ami granted during "play dates", she exerted her influence on other aspects of Ami's life. Sensible dresses, light-colored blouses, and woolly cardigans had been replaced by shapely jeans, black, too-tight, tees stamped with hard-rock logos, and lots of leather. Ami's music collection, an eclectic mix of classical, jazz, and modern pop, was now mostly rock, metal, alternative, and rap. Her sedan had been replaced with the type of motorcycle Haruka favored, which Hitomi referred to as a crotch rocket.

Ami had thrown a fit about the motorcycle at first but now found she enjoyed riding at daredevil speed while weaving through stalled traffic.

The rays of the dying sun peeked through the slats of the window blinds to cast horizontal bars of golden light on her carpet. Ami sat back in her chair, closed her eyes, and began to relax, allowing Hitomi to emerge from the quiet and darkness while her own consciousness retreated. This was a ritual that was repeated once or twice a month, which kept Hitomi's blood lust satisfied without establishing a pattern for the authorities to follow.

Though she had set the boundaries and found the targets, Ami took no part in the actual execution of the play date Instead, she preferred to visit her Memory Palace, a construction within her mind where all of the knowledge and memories, both those of her current and past lives, were stored and organized. It was a place of quiet and serenity where she could admire great works of art, listen to the masters of musical composition, read fine volumes of literature, or simply stroll down the metaphorical memory lane.

Hitomi had access to the Memory Palace as well, though only certain areas, keeping her from the corridors that held Ami's most cherished memories. Tall iron gates barred the way into these halls, locked with bolts that only responded to Ami's touch.

Ami settled down to inspect a statue while Bach filled the rooms with music as she awaited Hitomi's return and the report of another successful mission.

l-l-l-l

Hitomi considered her appearance in the full length mirror that hung on Ami's door. Due to Ami's approval of both Hitomi's wardrobe choices and her midnight activities, she suspected that Ami possessed an inner bad-girl, apart from the obvious choice, that was simply yearning for release. Years of repression from both the society she lived in and her own family, had given her a somewhat insatiable desire for adventure as well as some rather deviant sexual interests, particularly concerning the tall amazon, Makoto.

"Sticks and stones may break my bones but whips and chains excite me," Hitomi chanted under her breath, "So tie me down and beat me up to show me that you like me."

She checked to make sure that her black leather gloves were secure in her jacket pockets before reaching into the very back of her closet, grabbing the backpack containing all of her dark toys, fishing line with a fifty-pound test that made great garroting wire, several rolls of duct tape, a large hunting knife, and a whetstone to make sure that her favorite blade was kept razor sharp.

It was past midnight and well after dark by the time Hitomi left her apartment and fetched her motorcycle, mounting for the quick ride to the apartment complex where Asakuma lived. The complex was dark and seedy, the buildings themselves showing age and neglect. She knew from Ami's research that Asakuma worked as a deckhand at the nearby docks during the quiet night shift. She also knew that he would be leaving for work very soon.

Taking her time, She cruised the neighborhood around the complex once or twice to get a good idea of the street layout before quietly riding into a nearby patch of woods and hiding her motorcycle. She had decided at the last minute to walk in on the off-chance that somebody saw her leaving the scene of the crime. If she was seen, nobody would have any information to give to the police, aside from a young man or woman in dark clothing.

She enjoyed playing in this part of town owing to the fact that the police never did more than a cursory investigation, usually writing off even violent deaths as a "drug overdose".

She checked her watch and noticed that she had only a few minutes before her prey left for work. Entering the lobby, she passed by the bank of broken down elevators and proceeded to the stairs, taking them two at a time to the third floor. She counted doors, all made as cheaply as possible, until she found the one she sought. The doorknob rattled as her prey struggled with, and swore at, the cheap lock. Hitomi shrugged off her pack and retrieved the roll of fishing line, from which she fashioned a noose. She slipped her pack back on just as the door opened.

Asakuma had the pale, pasty, flabbiness of someone who ate too much and spent little time outdoors. It was no wonder that he went after little girls, there was no way he could get a real woman. She stepped up behind him and slipped the noose over his head and around his thick, doughy, neck. He gave a high-pitched squeal as she opened the door and dragged him in.

This play date was off to an excellent start.

l-l-l-l

Hitomi was as thorough in her clean-up as Ami was in her research, often going to extreme lengths to hide her activities. From her pack, she drew out a large box of heavy construction garbage bags and, into five separate bags went five separate body parts. Each bag was deposited in a different dumpster and, with any luck, Asakuma would be in a distant landfill before anybody noticed his disappearance.

Satisfied in a way no lover could attain, Hitomi mounted her motorcycle and rode for home. The night's hunt had gone quite well without the inconvenience of witnesses and nosy neighbors despite all of the noise, albeit muffled by tape, her prey had made.

Towards the end, he had indicated that he had something to say. She obliged him by peeling away the gag and allowing him to speak.

"I hope one of them was yours." He rasped, smiling and showing a mouthful of bloodstained teeth.

Hitomi smiled at the memory and shook her head as she pulled off her gloves and returned them to the pockets of her jacket, "Alright, soul sister, playtime's over."

_All good things must come to an end_, Ami replied, _Did you have fun?_

"Yes."

_Did you clean up behind yourself?_

"Don't I always? Relax, Ami, this wasn't my first rodeo." Hitomi sat down on the sofa and closed her eyes. She took a deep breath and, on the exhale, retreated to the darkness to add tonight's events to her wing of the Memory Palace.

Ami opened her eyes and thanked providence that Hitomi had remembered to close the eyes before the transfer. To transfer "eyes out" was disorienting and often made her feel sick.

_Do you want to take a look_? Hitomi asked.

"I'll review them later." Ami replied. She always made the point of checking Hitomi's memories after each play date to make certain there was nothing for investigators to find and nothing to incriminate her. She checked everything from the arrival to the departure and found that Hitomi usually did a superb job of cleaning up after herself.

"I want you to start wearing some kind of head covering."

_Sure. Anything specific you had in mind?_

"I don't know, maybe a ball cap or a head scarf or something."

_Consider it done. I'll pick something up before the next time._

Ami returned the pack of dark play things to its spot in the back of the closet and grabbed her extension cord. She had gotten the length to allow her to plug in and rest in the comfort of her bed. Because of her cables and the flesh-colored vents between her shoulders, she was forced to sleep on her stomach, pressing her face into the pillows, which worked out well enough as she didn't breathe through her mouth. After an hour or so of quiet, her brain finally shut down and she drifted off.


	2. The Memory Palace

_A/N: To those of you new to the storyline, I refer you to the previous story, Mechanical Mercury. Also, an interesting little tidbit of trivia, Sailor Moon's creator, Naoko Takeuchi, originally intended for the Ami Mizuno/Sailor Mercury character to be a cyborg with an accelerator but the idea was scrapped as not being believable. Seriously, I could not make this crap up._

Ami awoke to morning sunlight shimmering through the blinds to give her bedroom a pale glow. She unplugged from the wall outlet and stretched her back, feeling the power of a fresh charge in her batteries. Wondering what day it was, she checked her calendar and saw that her disability check was due to arrive. Because of her prosthesis and questionable mental state she was technically disable and forbidden to work, which threw her childhood dreams of being a doctor out the window.

The government money was enough to live off of and even save a bit provided she lived frugally. Her apartment, by any standard, was small with a medium-sized living room, a kitchenette that was never used, a bedroom and a tiny bathroom with barely enough room to turn around in.

All things considered, Ami was satisfied with her life. Her apartment was on an isolated block at the edge of the city, providing quiet, enough distance to ensure she wasn't constantly pestered, and easy access to the city whenever Hitomi felt an urge.

The only thing that annoyed her about her lifestyle was, being unable to work, she often suffered from boredom. To keep idleness at bay, she studied, intensively, every subject she could. Religion, history, philosophy, anatomy, quantum physics, and art were only a few of the vast number of subjects she was considered somewhat of an expert on. She had bought and taught herself to play the guitar, saxophone, and keyboards and had written sever songs, not just lyrics like she had in high school, which she secretly sold to supplement her income.

She had developed a working theory of extinction of complex organisms, suggesting that behavior was the cause, or at least a contributing factor, for the failure to adapt and the eventual downfall of the dinosaurs and, just for kicks, she made an implication that the theory could be applied to the human species, making it eerily prophetic.

She had written several bestselling novels under a pseudonym which, through a complex series of channels, collected hefty royalty payments from.

In reality, Ami's fortune rivaled Haruka and Michiru's but she still chose to keep a low profile and live frugally, feigning near poverty. She had several bank accounts, well hidden, untouchable, and under different identities, that she could access in the event that something turned sour and she had to disappear. If that ever happened, she could live quite comfortably anywhere she so chose.

Selecting a _Rise Against_ album, more to appease Hitomi than for her own enjoyment, Ami started the first track and sat down at her desk to read the newest essay by an American mathematician named Ian Malcolm entitled _Life At The Edge of Chaos_. It was essentially a reworking of a lecture she had attended remotely through the internet a year before. Malcolm, both respected for his genius and despised for his arrogance, was a pioneer in the field of Chaos Theory. During the lecture, he became annoyed when several attendees began to ask questions and poke holes in his theories. Often, they cited the work of another pioneer, the mysterious Mercury, who, while never seen in public, often published complex essays on breakthroughs that stood up to intense scrutiny.

Ami had enjoyed a good laugh that night when Malcolm, more out of exasperation than wisdom, challenged Mercury to reveal "himself" and engage in a public debate. Perhaps, Ami thought, she would do just that but she doubted her illustrious rival's career would survive such an embarrassment.

She soon grew bored with the lengthy essay but finished it more out of courtesy than interest. Yes, Malcolm was intelligent for an American but he wasn't quite her caliber.

Ami picked up the newspaper and immediately noticed the front page story that another little girl had gone missing and, for a moment, she had feared that the outing the night before had been in vain. Fortunately, she noticed that this child didn't fit the profile of Hitomi's most recent playmate, the late Asakuma Kira. In fact, this story bore a striking similarity to one Ami had read a few months before. Was it possible that there were two serial pedophiles on the loose?

Hitomi, a passive witness to all aspects of Ami's life, gave a dark chuckle, which only served to confirm Ami's suspicion. Whenever Hitomi laughed, somebody was doing something funny.

She was compelled to do something before this monster struck again but would it be prudent to let Hitomi loose so soon after a hunt?

"What do you think?"

_Do you really need to ask that question?_ Hitomi's tone implied marvel at how Ami was intelligent enough to walk among the rest of society.

"I don't like the idea of doing this so soon after your last playdate," Ami objected. "We don't want to establish a pattern."

Hitomi gave a mental shrug, _So, take your time with the investigation._

Ami always insisted on performing a very thorough investigation before each playdate to make certain that Hitomi played with the right person. She snorted at the realization of what she was: an ethical psycho-sociopath, the personification of hypocrisy.

"I think we'll sit on this on a while. We need to be careful."

_Choice is yours, bossette, I just do the grunt work_.

"Do I detect a note of dissatisfaction in your voice?"

_Not at all. I'm perfectly happy to do the grunt work. I was only making an observation._

Ami grunted but wasn't entirely convinced, "From what I can tell, this man seems to take a victim every four months. I remember reading an article about a little girl fitting this profile about four months ago."

_I know, and the one a few months before that._

"Right, so I figure we have at least four months before he strikes again. That's more than enough time to prepare."

_Should we devote all of our time to this one? There are plenty of others out there, _Hitomi pointed out.

"The other ones can wait," Ami replied. "I don't like this one."

_I've noticed that most of the targets you've selected in the past were pedophiles. Do you have something against them?_

"You mean other than the fact that they hurt children?"

_I mean that it seems personal with you. Why is that? Did something happen to you when you were younger?_

Ami shrugged, "You have access to all my memories, you tell me."

_There's a lot of places I don't have access to in here._

"Then I guess we'll never know."

l-l-l-l

Ami immediately dove into her investigation using the only leads available to her, the articles about the missing girls. The newspapers all spoke of how the girls came from affluent families, were in their pre-school years, and had recently moved into the city but those were, unfortunately, the only common factors. The families had come from different parts of Japan, held vastly different professions, came from different backgrounds, attended different schools, and, as far as Ami could tell, had never once crossed paths with each other. These facts eliminated a good portion of her suspect pool, bringing her ever closer to her subject.

Ami had written a computer program to aid in searching for suspects. By entering a few specific parameters, she had access to every publication, form, and report that fit her search criteria . First, she searched missing girls of the same age and time in the city, receiving twenty-six hits, dating back to her early High school years. She read each report carefully, eliminating the ones where the girls had been found, the perpetrator incarcerated, and the case closed. That left seven open cases. On her powerful computer, she opened seven new windows and ran new search parameters in each.

In Japan, each citizen's every move was thoroughly documented and reported to one government agency or another to ensure that they received whatever aid, if any, that they needed and in the proper context. For every purchase, be it a house, boat, or car, there was a receipt with price, seller and purchaser.

It was here that Ami received her first suspect. She noticed that each of the seven families had purchased their new homes through the same real estate company, more specifically, the same real estate agent, Ishiguro Jiro.

She had closed all of the windows and was about to run a document search on Ishiguro when there was a knock on her door. Sucking her teeth in annoyance, she shut down her computer as as second series of knocks sounded.

Going to the door, she stood on her toes to peer through the peephole.

_Oh, look who it is_, Hitomi, said acidly.

"Hi Ami," Usagi chirped as Ami opened the door.

"What brings you here?"

"Do you know what today is?"

Ami leaned back into her apartment to check the calendar, on which nothing was written down, "Tuesday?"

Usagi laughed, "Oh very funny, Ami-chan. You know its Rei's birthday today." Her voice suddenly turned serious, "Unless you've forgotten."

Ami had forgotten. She was usually so busy with Hitomi that she never had time for her other friends. They had grown apart since the accident and subsequent disturbances. They all noticed the change in her personality and their fear of its implications was obvious. To avoid problems, she rarely attended social functions anymore, birthday and holiday plans went on without her, and she only acknowledged them when directly approached.

"Are you coming tonight? It's going to be a lot of fun."

Ami shook her head, "Sorry, I have a lot to do."

"But, you don't work."

"Just because I'm unemployed doesn't mean I'm idle."

"And exactly what are you doing that's taking up so much of your time?"

Ami bristled. Why was it that Usagi simply couldn't take a hint? She leaned out the door, "None of your damn business," she growled.

Usagi took a surprised step back. She stared at Ami, wondering who this woman was, "What's gotten into you?"

"I'm busy. I'm in the middle of something very important and all you want to do is play twenty questions and whine about how today isn't like yesterday. Tough shit, Usagi. Get over it and grow up."

Usagi's gaze turned icy as she glared at Ami from a frigid distance. When she spoke, her voice was thick with sarcasm, "Oh, so very sorry to disturb your important work, mizuno-san. Rest assured that it won't happen a second time."

Ami winced at the words and immediately regretted her earlier tone, "Usagi…"

"No, no, I understand. I just figured you'd like to have a bit of fun, seeing as how you're alone all of the time. You know, see the girls and get together like old times but, as you so eloquently stated, today isn't like yesterday and I should, how did you say, 'grow up' and move on as you apparently have. Please forgive me for disturbing you. Like I said, it won't happen again."

"Usagi, wait."

But the blonde was already gone, marching stiffly for her car, parked at the edge of the curb.

"Usagi-chan, I'm sorry."

The only indication that Usagi had heard her was the rude gesture the blonde flashed over her shoulder at her former friend before climbing into her car and speeding away. For a moment, Ami considered pursuing her on the motorcycle but decided against it, closed the door, and returned to her computer. She wanted to continue her investigation but, for some reason, she just couldn't muster the energy.

She wandered the apartment, trying to decide what to do before falling on an idea. She'd visit the Memory Palace.


	3. Black Velvet and Red Wine

The Memory Palace didn't follow any particular design but incorporated elements of them all into a structure rather like a spider's web, with multiple wings branching out from a central nexus. It was in this central nexus that Ami always arrived and where she returned to when she wished to leave.

The nexus, like the rest of the palace, was made from a beautiful, iridescent, stone, a type of blue obsidian. It was mostly bare save the nine statues, each over five meters in height, of Princess Serenity and her Senshi. Each individual Senshi's statue stood at a different point along the nexus' outer walls, facing inward to the centerpiece, Serenity's statue. Each imposing figure looked both regal and deadly and was carved of marble as white as new-fallen snow and glowed from the untraceable luminescence that lit the entire palace.

Ami stood in the center, marveling as she always did, at the beautiful sculpture around her, awed by the minute detail from the Senshi's expressions of power and strength to the tiny glyphs that adorned their armor and weapons. Indeed, each statue looked as if it would come to life at any moment and challenge her to combat.

This was also a place where her biological limbs were restored. In here, it was as if the accident had never taken place, which is why she sometimes found it hard to return to the physical world.

Ami spotted Hitomi lurking in the shadow of Uranus' statue. She wasn't particularly surprised by her alter-ego's attire, from the fedora hat to the boots, she was clad completely in black, "What are you doing lurking back there?"

"I wasn't lurking," Hitomi replied, defensively, "What are you doing here?"

"I'm free to come and go as I please."

"Yes but you usually come with a purpose. Have you been considering my earlier question?"

"You mean the insinuation of what somebody might have done to me?"

"What, indeed."

"And who would have been responsible?"

"Who, indeed."

Ami immediately saw that Hitomi was playing one of her games, "You know something."

"No, but I wonder, why did your parents' divorce?"

"Irreconcilable differences." She answered immediately.

"You know this for a fact?"

"It's what my mother told me. Why would she lie?"

"Why, indeed."

l-l-l-l

Hitomi followed Ami across the nexus and down on of the branching corridors to one of the gates, "Wait a minute. We can't go in there. _She's_ in there."

"And who's Memory Palace is this. When last I checked, it belonged to me. I may go anywhere I please and bring anyone I wish and, if she doesn't like it, she can go pout." With a brush of her fingers, the locking bolt slid back and the gates opened, admitting them into Mercury's wing. The centerpiece of the wing was a scale model of the Mercurial seat of power, Mariner Palace, rendered in perfect detail. Gilded frames lined the walls, like in every other wing of the palace. While the frames were usually dark, they illuminated when approached and the memory would be displayed, much like a short film and always from her perspective.

"She's not supposed to be in here."

Ami looked to see Mercury striding towards them. Perhaps it was because of her upbringing that Mercury moved so stiffly, with perfect posture, and always dressed immaculately, making Ami and especially Hitomi, look grungy and unwashed by comparison.

"So long as she's with me, she's fine." Ami replied.

Mercury's lip twitched, "I will not be held responsible for my actions if provoked."

"Why should I be afraid of you?" Hitomi asked.

"I am trained in six forms of unarmed combat and more than a match for a heathen like you."

Ami rolled her eyes as her two alter-egos began to argue. This wasn't the first exchange between the two, though they usually took place through the bars of the gates that guarded Mercury's wing.

"Will you two shut-up!" Ami snapped.

"Don't worry about us, Merck and I are just having a little fun." Hitomi clapped Mercury on the shoulder, "Aren't we, Merck?"

Mercury glared at the offending appendage, "My name is Mercury and you will remove your hand."

"Or you'll do what?"

Taking a moment to remove her elegant slippers, Mercury gripped Hitomi's hand and ratcheted her arm around, pinning it behind her back, "Do you surrender?"

"Don't think that I'm going to go easy on you just because you're royalty."

Ami left the two to their squabble while she studied some of Mercury's memories. Mercury had, evidently, been created along with her wing of the Memory Palace but she never manifested herself as Hitomi did. Usually, she kept to her own wing and, as far as Ami knew, had never ventured beyond to explore the rest of the palace.

Mercury was always poised and formal but was an excellent fighter. That, combined with her proud nature and high intelligence, had given her a sense of arrogance and a tone of contempt . She considered everyone, except Ami and Princess Serenity, to be below her, a fact that she never let anyone forget.

Someone squealed and Ami turned to see that Mercury held Hitomi in some kind of leg-lock with Hitomi bent backwards and pinned to the floor by her own tension, "Mercury, for god's sake, let her go."

Mercury made a face but released Hitomi then smoothed out the satiny material of her gown, reset the pearl barrettes that held back her hair and replaced her slippers.

Ami had started for the gate and was nearly out when Mercury called to her. The princess had Hitomi by the hair and was towing her along, "Take this cretin with you," Mercury commanded, tossing Hitomi through the gate. "She is not permitted in here again."

The gates slammed shut so quickly that Ami had to leap aside in order to keep from being trapped between them.

"Bitch!" Hitomi roared at Mercury's retreating back. She turned to Ami, "Were you just going to let her beat me like that?"

"She warned you not to touch her."

"You could have stopped her."

Ami shrugged, "You needed to be put in your place."

Returning to the Nexus, she settled down at the base of Serenity's statue. Hitomi only paused a moment. She seemed to have something to say but she shook her head and continued on, disappearing down one of the corridors.

l-l-l-l

Ami opened her eyes and saw that it was nearly dark. She had hoped a visit to the Memory Palace might revive her interest in pursuing this new case but she still couldn't compel herself to continue. Instead, she decided to go and see Rei.

Climbing aboard her motorcycle, she rode to an all-night store. Searching the aisles, she found nothing she could give Rei, she examined the racks of music C. D.s with dismay. She knew Rei liked music she couldn't remember what artists the priestess listened to. Finally, she settled on a simple card. It seemed woefully inadequate, given the years they had known each other but it was the best she could do and she was sure Rei would appreciate it all the same. Purchasing the card, she borrowed the cashier's pen to scribble a quick message in the card before rushing out to the bike.

Traffic was light on the road to the shrine that Rei called home. But Ami was surprised to find that the curb in front of the shrine was empty, vacant of the vehicles belonging to her friends. Curious, Ami dismounted and hurried up the multiple flights of stairs to the main shrine that housed the priests and other staff. The windows were dark and Ami feared that she might have arrived too late, after everyone had retired.

The door opened and Rei stepped out, pulling on a jacket over the stylish blouse to ward against the chilly air. She nearly bumped into Ami before she took notice.

"Oh, hello."

"Hi."

There was a bit of an awkward silence as they both searched for more to say.

"Sorry I missed your party." Ami finally said, "I just had a lot going on today."

"I understand. To be honest, it wasn't really much of a party. They came, we bullshitted for an hour or so, then they left."

"Oh? Why is that?"

Rei shrugged, "I just wasn't in a partying mood, I guess. The person I wanted to see wasn't here."

Ami didn't know what to make of such a cryptic statement and was about to ask what the priestess meant when Rei spoke again, "Would you like to come inside? It's a bit nippy out."

"If you're going somewhere, I don't want to delay you."

"No, I just came out for some air."

Ami nodded, "Well, maybe just for a minute."

Aside from the ever-burning sacred fire and a few small lamps, the shrine was dark. Ami inquired about the two others that lived with Rei.

"They took off for the evening, allowing us a little privacy. Would you like some wine?"

Ami stopped short, "Wine?"

"Yeah, Makoto bought a really nice burgundy that's hardly been touched. You know I'm not much of a drinker but I want to get rid of it before Grandpa comes back, you know how he disapproves, but I can't bring myself to throw it away."

"Hm…sure."

"Can you drink with your…condition?"

"I don't think it will be a problem."

_You are so naive_, Hitomi muttered.

"What?"

"I didn't say anything." Rei replied.

_She's practically throwing herself at you_

"What makes you say that?"

Rei turned to stare at Ami, "Are you sure you're okay?"

Ami's blood ran cold as she realized just how close she had come to revealing Hitomi's continued existence and blowing apart her carefully assembled life. She needed to deal with this immediately, "Yeah, I…er….just need to use the restroom.:

Rei flipped a hand casually, "You know where it is."

She moved quickly, feigning a full bladder, shut the door behind her and locked it, "What the hell are you going on about?"

_You are so clueless. Rei is beyond horny and you're not getting the picture._

"I'm not following you."

_So, what else is new? Listen, eyes and ears on me. Rei calls off the party because the person she wanted to see was a no-show, right? Who was the only no-show?_

"She could have been talking about Mamoru. They were together for a while."

_Right, you know Usagi came and if she was here, he wasn't far away. Secondly, she said her gramps and that dude had left out to give us some alone time. Who's us, Ami? Unless she's got a mouse hidden away on her person, she was referring to you._

"Nonsense, Rei's not a lesbian."

There was a mental tug, _We'll see. Hand over the reins so I can give birthday girl what she really wants_

"Don't you dare."

_C'mon, Ami. It'll be fun._

"You are not risking my relationship with her on some cheap fling."

There was an actual physical sensation as Hitomi forced Ami's consciousness back and took control, "You'll thank me in the end."

l-l-l-l

"Everything come out alright?"Rei asked.

"Fine," Hitomi replied, joining Rei at the table and accepting the offered glass of blood-red wine.

"You are in here for quite a while. Sounded like you were talking to someone."

"Phone call. Mom was just checking on me."

"This late?"

Hitomi shrugged, using the gesture to "accidentally" spill wine on her shirt, "Oops."

Rei's eyes went wide as Hitomi pulled off the sopping wet cloth revealing that she had forgotten what Ami considered a key garment.

"You're not wearing a bra," Rei pointed out, speaking softly.

Hitomi smiled, "Of all the luck, looks like I got some on my pants well." She undid her belt and rose, pulling her pants off and standing before Rei, who had an owlish expression, in her panties.

Rei swallowed hard.

Hitomi leaned back, letting the light fall across the prominent y-shaped scar that ran from her collarbone to her naval, left over from when Ami's chest had been opened up to install the prosthetic heart and lungs.

"Does that still hurt?" Rei asked in a desperate attempt to change the subject.

Hitomi smiled and came around the table, pulling the trembling woman up by her blouse, "C'mon, birthday girl, I'm going to give you a present you won't soon forget."


	4. Rei's Final Warning

The sound of birds and a soft breeze from an open window woke Ami, who wondered for a moment why she was nude, unplugged, and in a bed that wasn't hers. Something warm stirred beside her and she risked a glance to find tousled raven hair peeking out from beneath the blankets, "Damn it, Hitomi," she hissed, "This is exactly what I didn't want to happen."

Slipping from the bed, Ami sought her clothes and dressed silently, tossing glances at Rei, who slept on. She pulled on her leather jacket and grabbed her helmet before opening the door. She paused a moment to look back at the sleeping woman, "I'm sorry, Rei. I didn't mean it to be like this."

The entire ride home, Ami raged at Hitomi, calling her alter-ego foul names and making threats they both knew simply weren't possible. Hitomi, for her part was unusually silent which left Ami wondering why. It couldn't possibly be shame, Hitomi didn't possess the capacity for that emotion.

She arrived back at the apartment without further incident and immediately took a shower, making certain to face into the spray to protect the vents in her back. She had learned her lesson the first time she had showered after her surgeries when she had mistakenly turned away from the spray and nearly drowned.

It was just after noon when Ami, freshly showered and changed, decided that she finally had the energy to continue the investigation from the day before. She had just sat down at her computer when someone knocked at the door. Rolling her eyes, she got up and answered.

Her mind barely registered the hand before she was slapped hard enough to twist her head and crack her neck. She blinked to clear away the blur in her eyes and focused on Rei, who was clutching her hand and hissing in pain.

"I forgot about the metal plates," she groaned.

"What was that all about?"

"You know damn well what that was all about. First, you seduce me and get me into bed, then I wake up and you've vanished and now, you act like nothing has happened? Damn it, Ami, how could you? I thought, of all people, you'd be the least capable of doing something like this. Treating me like a damn whore, that goes beyond disrespect."

"Please understand, Rei, I wasn't myself last night."

"Normally, I'd blame it on the alcohol and leave it at that but you dumped yours all over yourself. So, that just leaves me with one option, you're nothing but a slut."

Ami felt her temper rise at the false accusations, "Watch your mouth, Rei."

"Oh, I'm sorry. Did I hurt your feelings? Too bad, bitch."

_You should let me handle this._

"Oh, like you handled last night? I want to make this situation better, not worse."

"Who the hell do you keep talking to?" Rei cried.

"Keep your voice down. Don't make a scene."

"Are you afraid that your neighbors will know? Let me alleviate your fears," she drew a deep breath, "Mizuno Ami is a crazy bit-whoa!"

Ami seized Rei by the collar of her shirt, hauled her across the threshold, and threw her to the floor, "Maybe you should handle this," she said, closing and locking the door.

_My pleasure._

l-l-l-l

Hitomi landed atop Rei and used a hand to cover her mouth, "Listen carefully, dumb-ass. That wasn't Ami who screwed your brains out last night, that was me. She was the one who left out this morning to save whatever relationship she has with you that, apparently, she so values. I can't see why she would even bother; obnoxious, judgmental, bitch that you are."

"Who are you," Rei asked when Hitomi removed her hand.

"So very glad you asked. I'm called Hitomi and I was born of all of that anger and depression and bullshit Ami kept locked away until recently. I'm the Anti-Ami, as you now know. No, let me make something quite clear, so far, the world at large is unaware of me and it's going to stay that way. If it doesn't, I'll know who's responsible and I can make your life, what little will remain, a living hell. 'Kay pumpkin?"

Rei nodded,

"Lovely. Now, keep in mind, I'm not just some dumb brute. I'm just as intelligent but more cunning and far more vicious. That being said, Rei, I recommend you keep my secret. You'll live longer.

Finished with her piece, Hitomi took a nearby chair and gave control back to Ami, who watched Rei pensively over steepled fingers, "What she said is entirely true. I'm sorry it's come to this but, I assure you, if you speak to anyone about this, I will let her do to you as she sees fit. Believe me when I say, she has some very unpleasant things in mind."

"Are-are there really two of you in there?" Rei asked.

Ami nodded slowly.

"And she-"

"Hitomi is violent and dangerous but honest. She has never once lied to me about what she has done or intends to do and I have no doubt that she will do as she says."

Rei slowly got to her feet and backed to the door, never taking her eyes off of Ami, who didn't move. She reached the door but found it locked. Pulling with all her strength, she began to panic when she couldn't open the door.

Ami came up behind her and gripped her shoulder in a crushing grasp, causing the priestess to wince, "Remember what I said, Rei. Don't breathe a word about this to anyone, especially the others. If you do, I will find you."

Rei nodded her agreement, sobbing that she understood and that she wouldn't speak. Ami let her out and Rei fled to her car, taking a moment to unsuccessfully calm herself before speeding away.

Ami closed the door, figuring that her relationship with Rei was officially destroyed. It was impossible to say who was to blame for that dangerous situation. Perhaps if Rei hadn't pursued Ami and left well-enough alone or if Hitomi had not seduced the priestess or if Ami had stayed home, as she originally intended.

Hitomi, she thought, had done an excellent job in controlling herself in the confrontation with Rei. Hitomi possessed the physical strength and certainly the capability to kill Rei by any means that might strike her fancy. She practiced incredible discipline in not leaving a mark on Rei's skin.

Hitomi had also done an excellent job of impressing upon Rei just what kind of danger she would be in if she ran her mouth to anyone. Rei, she was fairly certain, would keep her silence out of fear of retribution. She had seen what both mild-mannered Ami and ferocious Hitomi were capable of and she was terrified of what the vengeful psychopath would do to her.

Returning to her desk, Ami set about the effort of continuing her investigation while she brought up something to Hitomi, "We've been working very hard."

_We have_

"And we've been working a lot."

_Your point?_

"I'm afraid that we might be establishing a pattern. What do you say to taking a bit of a break when we're done with this one?"

_What did you have in mind?_

"How about a nice camping trip, out where it's nice and quiet."

_I dig it. I need to get away from the city for a while too. Yeah, when we're done here._

Ami nodded happily and returned her attention o the pressing matters at hand

_Can I watch My Little Pony while you work?_

Ami sat back in shock, "I'm sorry?"

_Yes, you are and I'd like an answer to my question._

"What is _My Little Pony_?"

_A show._

"I gathered, a show about what?"

_Ponies._

Ami rolled her eyes and ran the title through an internet search engine. What she got was pages, pictures, and videos of what appeared to be an animated American children's show. She clicked on one of the videos and an episode began, "Hitomi, have you been watching this?"

_Yeah, so what?_

"It's a children's show."

_And?_

"Don't you think you're a little old for this?"

_Be nice or I'll tell everyone about your crush on Inuyasha._

"I was fourteen!"

_Then why do you still have all of the DVDs and every manga issue?_

"How have you been watching this behind my back?"

_I come in here while you're sleeping._

"Is that why I can never get a full night's charge?"

_Yes._

"Unbelievable. My psychotic alter-ego enjoys an American cartoon about ponies. Isn't that ironic?"

_How about this one? A former teenage superhero moonlights as a murdering vigilante._

"Point taken."

Ami let Hitomi watch her show while she did her research, discovering Ishiguro owned a home not far from Michiru and Haruka, a large van for hauling around prospective buyers or kidnapped children, and a large yacht docked in a private club.

The boat, she decided, was the key to incriminating evidence. Ishiguro would not be so bold as to keep evidence on him or anywhere he might frequent so, Ami decide, she needed to find that boat and get inside if she wanted to be certain that he was her man.


	5. The Hidden Wing

It was well past dark when Ami rode past the yacht club where Ishiguro's boat was berthed. The boat was not visible from the road and the gatehouse was empty but the pier and berths were all well-lit. If there was a security team or cameras, she could be seen

Parking the bike in a nearby public lot, she walked over to the gate and ducked below it. She moved quickly to the dock, staying in the shadows where she could.

Dropping into the chilly harbor water, Ami grimaced as her shoes and socks filled with muck. The tough synthetic flesh sealed her mechanical limbs and, provided she kept her shoulders above water, her vents would stay dry. She moved beneath the dock, using the boards to shelter her from prying eyes as she waited deeper into the harbor. Eventually, she was forced to used the cross bars over her head to climb along when the water became too deep.

After a brief search, she found the boat. Climbing on to the diving ledge, she pulled herself aboard and immediately went to the cabin door. The lock was ridiculously easy to negotiate and, with her driver's license, she voided the lock.

Inside the cabin was spacious and without indication of the owner's supposed activities. In one corner, there was a combination television and video player with a stack of discs next to it. Examining the titles, Ami saw that they were all children's shows, including a few from the live-action show based on the actual adventures of the Sailor Senshi. Usagi had raved about the show and even auditioned for the lead role but, as she possessed no acting ability, was passed over. However, she continued to watch the show religiously.

Turning from the television, Ami began to go through the drawers in the counter that served as the galley. Candy and other sweets filled one, the second was filled with small toys and the third was filled with an obscene amount of duct tape. While all of this was certainly convincing it was also circumstantial. What she needed was irrefutable evidence, like photos or videos.

She lifted the mattress on the small berth and found several sets of handcuffs and five anchors, again, convincing but circumstantial. Ishiguro might be nothing more than an immature masochist with a sweet tooth.

Taking a step back, Ami surveyed the entire area, looking for anything she might have missed. Her sharp eyes spotted a shoe box peeking out at her from beneath the bunk. It was surprisingly heavy as she reached in and pulled it out. Setting it on the counter, she opened it to find it full of photographs, each one depicting a young girl wrapped in duct tape, some nearly to the point of being silver cocoons, a Ishiguro standing over her. Here was the evidence she needed. Here was the irrefutable proof of Ishsiguro's perversion.

Somewhere deep inside, she heard a dark chuckle.

"Yes," she replied, "yes, indeed. This will do nicely."

She took three of the photos that showed Ishiguro the clearest and replaced the others in their box beneath the berth. Retracing her steps, she was careful to replace everything she disturbed and leave her prey ignorant of her visit. She left the boat, moving ape-like from the stern to beneath the dock before climbing, hand over hand, along the support joists.

She should have been freezing as she rode home on her motorcycle in her wet clothes but the prosthetic flesh held no nerves and the natural nerve endings in her skin had been destroyed years ago. She could feel some pressure and some pain but nothing more.

She slipped into her apartment and left a trial of wet clothes behind her as she went to her desk and dropped the photos on it, "I need a shower."

She thought about what Hitomi had said about her obsession with pedophiles. True enough, there were many others but she seemed to focus solely on perverts and pursued them with a near-psychotic need. Why? Was there something that had happened to her? Something that she had buried within her psyche?

She looked over the photos, feeling her anger rise at the expressions of abject terror on their faces, the tears in their eyes.

Ami's surrounding suddenly changed. She was somewhere else on the floor of a bedroom she didn't recognize. Her father knelt over her with a strange look on his face.

She blinked, her apartment coming back into focus

_Get in here_, Hitomi called

l-l-l-l

Appearing at the base of Serenity's statue, Ami was surprised to find Mercury pacing the floor of the nexus, muttering and obviously agitated. The moment she spotted Ami, she marched over, "That cretin."

"Why are you outside of your wing?"

"Am I not allowed?"

"You're allowed." Ami assured her, "I want to know why you're here."

"The _banging_. She's beating against a wall with something. Oh, I've asked her to stop, even confronted her. She says she's found something important."

Ami followed the noise with Mercury on her heels, "Why is she banging?"

"She says what she's found, whatever it is, is behind the wall."

Hitomi had found a barricade post and was hammering the base against the wall. Already she had created a small hole. Ami cleared her throat and Hitomi paused in her work, "What?"

"What are you doing?"

Hitomi set the post down and wiped at her brow, "Well, for weeks I've been trying to find the source of your obsession with pedophiles. I figured, if there was anything, it'd be in here."

"But, we've already searched every inch of the palace and, aside from a few news reports, there's nothing."

"I know, I know. Which got me to thinking, what if there _was_ something but you blocked it out? So, I began to look around and I noticed that the masonry on this section of wall was different from all the others?"

Ami inspected what was left of the wall and saw her alter-ego was right. The stonework was off-set slightly and the mortar looked fresh, "I'll be damned.

"There's a whole wing behind this. I've been working at it for hours and broke through only a few minutes ago."

Ami blinked. That was the same time as her vision, a flash back, it would seem, "Wait here." She commanded before dashing down a corridor, returning after a few minutes with a pair of pick-axes and a shovel.

"Where did you get these?" Hitomi asked as she accepted a pick-ax and hefted the tool.

"This is my mind." Ami replied, "I can make whatever I want."

Ami and Hitomi pecked away at the stonework while Mercury shoveled away the debris. Progress was made faster than Hitomi had managed with her makeshift hammer and they soon had a hole large enough to climb through. The light from the glass ceiling was pale with accumulated dust and cobwebs.

"What I wish to know," Mercury mused, "how are there cobwebs when there are no spiders to make them."

"Because old, hidden away places always have cobwebs," Ami explained.

"That's just the way it is." Hitomi said.

"But it makes no logical sense."

Both Ami and Hitomi turned to stare at Mercury, who's cheeks colored with a light blush.

"Fuck logic." They said in unison.

Cloth-covered portraits hung upon the walls. Ami grabbed the edges of one and pulled, revealing the memories it hid.

She was small and didn't really understand why daddy was touching her. She took his big hand in both of her tiny ones and pushed it away. Again, the hand returned and, again, she pushed it away and she realized, daddy had thought up a new game.

Ami turned away from the memory. She saw the other two were watching her. Hitomi eyed her with a degree of suspicion, as if she expected Ami to fly completely off the handle. Mercury was simply confused by what she saw.

Ami ignored them both and moved down the wing, selecting another memory at random. She was curled up on her side as her father held her. Younger Ami didn't know why but she knew this was wrong. It just didn't seem right.

She stepped back from the memory, burning with shame.

"Ami…?" Mercury ventured, only to be hushed by Hitomi.

Ami stopped at a third memory. She was much older, maybe eight or nine, Quiet tears slipped down her cheeks as she stared up at her naked father. She had told him she didn't want to play his games anymore. He had not been pleased and her tender cheeks spoke to this. He told her that good little girls obeyed their fathers, no matter what, and that she was a bad girl for her disobedience.

She was so confused. She knew this was wrong because her mother, ignorant of what occurred in her absence, had told her so. But, she didn't want to disobey her father and be a "bad" girl. She began to whimper as he crouched down and began to touch her again. She wanted to cry but, if she did, he would hit her again.

Someone gasped and they both looked to seen Saeko standing in the doorway in a state of shock.

The doctor shook herself, "What the fuck are you doing?"

"I-I-I…" He stuttered

Saeko dashed forward and seized Ami, clutching the girl close, "What the fuck are you doing to my child? You bastard, you were touching her." She nuzzled Ami, "Don't worry baby. Momma's got you. He won't hurt you anymore. I'll protect you."

She stood and backed out of the room and into the kitchen where she set Ami down, grabbed a knife, and stood between her daughter and husband, "I' calling the police," she announced, "Don't move! Don't you dare move! If you so much as twitch, I'll gut you."

"Ami, tell mommy we were just playing."

"Don't speak to her. Don't you even look at her, you sick son of a bitch!"

Ami shook herself free of the memory and faced her companions. In a rare show of compassion, Hitomi asked, "You okay?"

"My father…my father molested me for years. That's why my mother divorced him"

"A true monster, harming and shaming a child for sexual gratification." Mercury said softly.

"What happened, y'know, after?"

"I don't know. I…I can't remember. I know it's probably in here but I can't relive any more of that hell. I just can't" Ami fled back to the hole in the wall, which exploded outwards with tremendous force as she approached and leaving a perfect arch as she passed through.


	6. Revelations

Ami blinked and got to her feet. She shook her head and muttered as she paced her apartment. She needed to find out what had happened during and after the divorce. She knew she had the memory locked away somewhere but she couldn't bear to relive it again. There was only one solution. She grabbed her mobile and dialed, "Mom, I need to speak with you privately and as soon as possible.

1-1-1-1

Saeko was always very prompt and Ami met her at her front door exactly at eight o'clock, "Did you get my message?"

"I did. What do you need?"

Ami gestured, "Let's go inside."

She followed her mother through the door and sat down on the sofa.

"Would you like some tea?" Saeko offered.

"No, thank you. This will only take a moment. I need to know why you and Dad divorced."

"You don't remember?"

"No." She lied.

Saeko sighed, "I know, years ago, I told you that we had divorced for 'irreconcilable differences' but I think you're old enough for the truth. When you were nine, I came home from work early and caught your father touching you..er...inappropriately."

"And..."

"I did what every half-way decent mother would. I took you, called the police, had him arrested, and started the divorce proceedings the next day."

"If you had him arrested, why didn't he do any time"

"Because your father had an attorney who really knew her shit. She took your testimony and mine and twisted them up so that they didn't even vaguely resemble our original statements. She said we were unreliable, you because of your age and me because of my emotional attachment, and she completely discredited us."

Ami sat silently and contemplated this new information. "What happened after that," she finally asked.

"The smug bastard walked away, free and clear. He never actually had sex with you so they couldn't find anything concrete to prove what we said."

"I have just one more question. You don't happen to remember that lawyer's name?"

Saeko met Ami's gaze, "Why do you want to know?"

"Just curious."

"If I recall, her name was Setsuna Mei'oh."

Ami's blood ran cold.

"I think she knows your friend, Haruka. She was at the hospital the day of your surgery."

"And you did nothing?"

"I had more important things to worry about. Besides, I had forgiven her a long time ago. Whether or not she actually believed he was guilty or not, it was still her job to prove him innocent. She was only doing her job."

"I vaguely recall something similar being said at the Nuremberg trials." Ami muttered.

"Ami, I'm surprised about you. I know I raised you better than to blind accusations."

"Whatever," Ami snorted and stood, "I'm going home."

"To do what?"

"Sleep, I suppose."

"Good, you look like you could use a good nights sleep. I'll call you in the morning."

Ami let her self out, ignoring both her mother's voice and Hitomi's ironic chuckles.

1-1-1-1

She slammed the door to her apartment and wiped her eyes. Not in recent memory, could she remember feeling so betrayed. Flopping down in her desk chair, she folded her arms and pouted.

_What's wrong with you?_

'Were you not there? I just found out one of my friends allowed my father to escape justice."

_Yeah. And what are you going to do about it?_

"What do you mean?"

_The bitch knew who you were and what he did to you. She could have stopped him but chose not to. She could have made sure he never saw the light of day again but not only did she let him walk, she helped him. Personally, I'd make the bitch pay_.

"She would have known."

_Bitch is omniscient. How could she not have known?_

Ami stood, "You're right. Tomorrow, I'm going over there and I'm going to give her a piece of my mind."

1-1-1-1

It took only a few minutes for Ami to ride to Michiru's house where Setsuna lived. Her job would have been easier if the woman was home alone but the others didn't matter. Setsuna was hers, one way or another.

Shutting off the bike's engine, she coasted to a stop without having to use the brakes. She dismounted and spotted Setsuna working quietly in her flower garden at the front of the house. The woman didn't notice Ami's arrival until a shadow fell over her.

She looked up, "Good morning, Ami. It's been a while since we've seen you. How are you?"

"Sad, confused, betrayed."

Setsuna cocked her head, "I'm sorry to hear that. Anything I can do to help?"

"You've already done something."

"Oh?"

"Answer me truthfully, were you ever a lawyer?"

Setsuna nodded after a moment, "Yes, but I haven't practiced in-"

"Fifteen years?"

Setsuna blinked, "Why, yes. How did you know?"

"Let me ask you something else. Do you remember a case, some years ago, in which a man was accused of molesting his daughter?"

"Ami, I _am_ still bound by attorney-client confidentiality."

"Just answer the fucking question."

Taken aback by her tone, Setsuna was silent for a moment, "Yes, I do remember that case."

Ami felt her rage come to a boil and her hands reflexively curl into fists, "And...did you know...that little girl was me?"

Setsuna looked away.

'Look at me," Ami commanded. When the woman remained still, she repeated herself, her voice growing low and gravelly, nearly demonic, with anger, "Look. At. Me."

Setsuna found herself compelled to turn at the younger woman's tone.

"Did. You. Know."

She hesitated before answering, "Yes."

Ami chuckled, angrier than she had ever been.

"Ami, please understand..."

"Choose your next words carefully, woman." Ami snarled, "Did you know he was guilty?"

Setsuna startled to sidle towards the door, "This conversation is over."

With lightning speed, Ami drew her knife and pressed the pint to Setsuna's throat, "Answer the question."

"Yes," came the barely audible reply.

Without a word, Ami removed the knife and put it away as Setsuna breathed a sigh of relief.

And barely caught a glimpse of Ami's fist before the blow connected, smashing her nose with a crunch of cartilage and a gush of blood. With a roar, Ami launched herself forward, tackling Setsuna to the ground. Screaming obscenities, calling the woman every foul name she could think of, Ami began to beat Setsuna with hellish fury, using every ounce of her colossal strength to pound the woman into submission. Setsuna, for her part, did nothing to defend herself and seemed resigned to her fate.

"What the hell?"

Strong arms wrapped around Ami's waist and hauled her off Setsuna, who groaned and rolled onto her side.

"Ami, what the hell is wrong with you?" Haruka cried.

Ami loosened a feral growl and swung her elbow into the side of Haruka's head. The blonde immediately released her, clutched at her head, and fell to the grass, bucking and twisting in agony.

There was a scream and Ami turned to find Michiru flying at her, eyes wild with fury. Ami rolled onto her back, planted her feet in Michiru's stomach, and used their combined momentum to launch her into the side of Haruka's car, where she lay unmoving.

Ami recovered and straddled Setsuna, preparing to continue her assault when a small voice cut across her rage like a razor.

"Ami?"

She looked up and saw Hotaru standing in the open doorway. Even though she had entered her middle-teens, Hotaru looked very much like a small child, pale, terrified, and confused.

"Why?"

As much as Ami hated Setsuna, she couldn't kill the woman in front of Hotaru, the child had lived through enough trauma. She gripped a handful of Setsuna's hair and lifted the woman's head to whisper in her ear, "I'm not done with you, yet."

She stood and crossed the yard to her bike. Haruka, she saw, was no longer writhing but still clutched her head, blood seeping out from beneath her palm. Michiru was slowly working her way to her feet, occasionally shaking her head to fight off waves of dizziness. Hotaru rushed to Michiru and helped her up, supporting her as she stood.

Ami mounted the bike and took off, thinking over what she had done. Setsuna had certainly received her retribution for her transgressions. It was unfortunate, but not unexpected, that the others had been there to witness Setsuna's punishment. She wondered what the ramifications of her actions would be, if they would call the police or not. Perhaps her decisions had been somewhat rash. Some would certainly argue that the woman had merely been doing her job and that personal feelings and prior knowledge played no role in her decision. Ami didn't care. Something in the back of her mind argued that she might have gone overboard in Setsuna's punishment and Ami grudgingly agreed with herself. She would have to reign in her anger when next this situation arose.

She returned to her tiny apartment. Ishiguro could wait. She had to find her father and make him pay. She opened her laptop to begin her search and saw a news message. Apparently, a serial murderer was active in Japan. Upon reading the message, she noticed that it was _the_ killer. A man, at least she was fairly certain it was a he, she had been chasing for years. This was no pedophile but a depraved killer who exclusively preyed on blonde women in their early twenties. He stalked them, kidnapped them, and spent a short period, no more than forty-eight hours, torturing them in ways as varied as they were obscene before strangling and dumping them. It was one of her first cases and the clues had eluded her ever since. Aside from the type of victim and method of abuse, the only other common factor was two small burns on each of the victim's neck, usually near the trachea.


	7. Cruelty and Closure

Ami was so absorbed in her work that she didn't even notice the passage of time. Compared to her other searches, which could take days or weeks, finding her father had been fairly simple. Within a few hours, she had his home address, telephone number, several photos of his house, and even turn-by-turn directions.

There was a knock on her door.

"Piss off," She roared, not interested in company.

The door frame snapped and the door swung open with a resounding crash. Sailor Uranus strode in, followed by Sailor Neptune. Ami turned in her chair and fixed them with a look of unmatched contempt, "Was that really necessary?"

"I want to know," Uranus declared, "why you did what you did today."

Ami noticed a patch of Uranus' hair was shaved away, revealing the sutures that held shut a small cut just above her temple.

"Didn't she tell you?"

"She's in the hospital," Neptune explained. "She's hurt pretty badly, Ami. Broken jaw, broken nose, broken cheekbone. She's missing three teeth and has a fractured skull. Ami, you almost killed her. What we want to know why?"

"She deserved all I did to her and more."

"Care to explain?"

"It's rather not. It's personal, you see."

Uranus crossed the room and leaned over her, bracing against the arms of her chair, "Today, Ami, you came to _my_ home, attacked me and _my_ family, and put one of _my_ friends in the hospital. I think at the very least, I deserve an explanation, no matter how personal."

"I disagree."

"Realize this, Ami." Neptune said, "We've lied to several people to protect you. Despite what you did today, we're still willing to give you the benefit of the doubt."

"But, if you won't cooperate," Uranus growled, "you'll be joining Setsuna in the hospital."

"Fine, but only because you asked so nicely. When I was younger, my mother caught my father molesting me. He'd been doing it for years. Mom had him arrested but his lawyer got him off."

"What does this have to do with Setsuna?"

"She was that lawyer."

Uranus and Neptune shared a look.

"That has to be the biggest load of bullshit I've ever heard." Uranus pronounced.

Ami felt her temper flare but kept it in check. She had no fight with these two and had already caused enough grief for the day, "You don't believe me. I can't say that I blame you but my words are true. Ask her yourself."

Uranus straightened and crossed her arms, "I don't need to."

Ami stood, tilting her head back to meet the woman's gaze, "Why not? Do you hold so little faith in her words to not check them yourself or are you afraid she'd concur with my story."

Uranus raised a fist to strike her, "Why, you dirty little..."

Neptune restrained her partner, "She makes a valid point," she said when Uranus turned to her.

Uranus returned her attention to Ami, "Alright then, Neptune is going back to the hospital to speak with her. In the meantime, I don't want to take the chance of you going to the hospital and coercing her into agreeing with you. I am going to stay here with you to make sure you do the same."

"Splendid," Ami said sarcastically. "We'll make s'mores and talk about boys and how we're the very bestest of friends."

Uranus ignored the comment and turned to Neptune, giving her instructions in a low voice. Neptune nodded and left. Uranus set down on the sofa across the room and fixed Ami with a smoldering gaze.

1-1-1-1

Michiru made it back to the hospital quickly. She rode the elevator to Setsuna's floor and the woman's room was only a few doors down. When Setsuna had been released from the ICU, both Michiru and Haruka were shocked at the damage Ami had caused.

The woman's face was a foreign landscape of bruised and swollen flesh, cuts, and scrapes. Both of her eyes had swollen nearly shut and her jaw was wired together to facilitate healing, making it impossible for her to speak or eat until her jaw was fully-healed.

As Michiru sat down, Setsuna turned to stare at her through slitted eyes.

"How's the pain?"

Setsuna simply stared.

From her bag, she extracted a small notebook and a pen and set them in Setsuna's lap, "I need to ask a few questions. Ami said she was molested by her father as a child but her mother had him arrested."

Setsuna nodded.

"Okay. At his trial, his lawyer got all of the charges dismissed."

Setsuna nodded.

"You were that lawyer, weren't you?"

There was a moment before Setsuna nodded.

Michiru thought for a moment before speaking again, "I know you possess a degree of omniscience. Did you know whether or not Ami's father did as he was accused?"

Setsuna exhaled loudly and nodded.

"And still you chose to defend him?"

_It was my job. I took no pleasure in what I did._

Michiru stared at the message in shock before returning her attention to Setsuna, "You are the cruelest woman I have ever known. You could have passed up that case. You could have purposely botched it and given that poor child some closure, let her know that justice _exists_ but you chose to 'do your job' even though you didn't like it."

Setsuna looked away in shame.

1-1-1-1

Uranus' mobile phone chirped and she answered without taking her gaze from Ami, "Yeah.?"

"It all checks out. Leave her be." Michiru replied

"Okay. Are you coming home tonight?"

"No, I'm going to stay with her and find out more about it."

"Alright, I'll go make sure your brat is still alive."

"Just so long as she doesn't stay up all night. She has school in the morning."

"Fine. See you in the morning." She closed in the phone and spoke to Ami, "Looks like you're off the hook."

"Goody." Ami replied without looking up from her computer.

"But, Ami, believe I'm serious when I say you are to never again darken my doorstep. Stay away from my family. If I ever see you again, I'll kill you. Understood?"

l-l-l-l

Returning to Setsuna's room, Michiru found another message written in the notebook.

_Ami is preparing to confront and kill her father. She wishes to exact punishment for what he and I did to her. Please, Michiru, stop her and correct my mistake._

"Setsuna?"

The woman did not respond. The monitors were dark but Michiru distinctly remembered them being on. She pressed her fingers to the side of Setsuna's neck but felt no pulse, nor was there any breathing.

She ripped the message from the notebook and stuffed it in her pocket, "Hey, we need a doctor in here!"

l-l-l-l

Michiru returned home a few hours later to find Haruka sitting on the sofa. Hotaru was curled up in an armchair, covered with a light blanket and fast asleep.

Haruka stood as she shut the door, "What happened? I thought you'd be at the hospital."

"She's dead."

"Who's dead?"

"Who do you think? Setsuna."

"What? How? From what Ami did?"

"I don't know but I think it was a suicide?"

"How? She has no weapons?"

"I couldn't begin to tell you. I'm not a doctor but I think she knew she was going to die. She had turned off the machines so that the alarms wouldn't call anybody before I could get back and find this," she handed Haruka the note.

Haruka read it several times before looking up at her partner, "Is this real?"

Michiru shrugged, "Real enough. Did Ami mention anything to you?"

"Just made a lot of snide remarks and worked at her computer."

"Do you think she'd actually set out to murder her father?"

"Given the way she's been acting recently, I wouldn't put it past her."

"Maybe we should call the police."

"And tell them what? That our dead omniscient friend said that a cybernetic former-superhero-turned-villain is looking to murder her pedophile father? Come on, Michiru, that sounds like a bad movie plot."

"Well, what do you want to do, Haruka?"

"Why are you guys yelling?"

Hotaru had awoken and was watching them, still not quite awake.

"No reason, Hime-chan. Michiru-mama and I were just worried about Setsuna-mama. We didn't mean to wake you."

Setsuna-mama is dead." She informed them in an eerily flat voice.

"How did you know that?"

Hotaru shrugged and scratched her head.

"Why don't you go to bed, Hime-chan? Haruka-papa and I will try to keep our voices down, okay?"

She nodded sleepily and wandered off to her bedroom.

"I swear there are days I think she might actually be Setsuna's daughter, the way she just knows things."

"It's creepy," Michiru agreed.

"What we need to do is call in the other Senshi and fan out." Haruka said, getting back on track, "Go out in pairs, one stakes out Ami's place, one trails Ami, and the last pair guards her father."

"How do we find her father?"

"The same way she did, by computer searches. You do that while I call the others." Haruka pulled out her mobile. It rang several times before a certain priestess answered.

"Hullo?"

"Rei, it's Haruka. Wake up."

"Haruka? Wassamatter? You know what time it is?"

"Setsuna's dead, Rei. Ami beat her damn near to death and now she's dead."

"Wait, wait, wait, what"

Haruka quickly relayed the events of the past day, "Now, Ami's looking to kill her father. We can't let that happen. We need to find her and protect him. Call the others, I want all of you here as quickly as possible."


	8. Understanding

Ami held a penlight between her teeth to illuminate her work as she worked a bobby pin and a screwdriver to pick the lock, a skill in which she had become quite adept, on her father's door. The tumblers chattered as she worked the bobby pin, trying to find that perfect spot. There was a quiet click and she pushed with the screwdriver. The lock rotated and, with a second click, disengaged. She pushed the door open to reveal a sparsely-furnished living room. She crept through, not quite sure if he was even here but the bicycle out front was a good indication that he was. She quietly opened each door and peered inside, searching until she found him, sprawled out in the middle of a futon and snoring loudly.

A small box on the bedside table caught her attention and she opened it, curious as to what it contained. Inside was a handgun and one she had seen before. It had belonged to her grandfather when he had served in the Imperial Army during the second world war. She opened the revolving cylinder and loaded it with the six small bullets that also occupied the box, closing it with a metallic snap. Given the age of the weapon, she wasn't quite sure if it would work but, then again, she didn't really need it to.

She turned to her father and stuck the muzzle of the handgun in his open mouth. He awoke instantly but had the good sense not to cry out. Instead, he merely stared owlishly at the silhouette above him.

"Hello, papa," she said. "I'm so very glad I've found you. We have a lot of catching up to do."

In the back of her mind, she wondered what the killer was doing, if he was preparing to take another victim, and, if he was, how he would go about it.

l-l-l-l

"I have a bad feeling about this," Sailor Moon said to Sailor Mars as they got out of her car.

"I don't like the idea of Ami being loose like this," Mars replied.

The pair moved stealthily to the door, finding it ajar.

"Could she already be here?" Mars asked.

"Let's just check the house and report in. Be very careful."

They slipped through the door, using hand signals to coordinate their movements. Mars ducked into the hallway to check out the bedroom while Moon wandered through the kitchen. Neither noticed Ami waiting just inside the bedroom door.

As Mars came through the doorway, she turned to check behind her. Ami attacked, wrapping a powerful arm around the Senshi's neck, immediately cutting off her air and the blood supply to her brain. The struggle was brief and silent. Mars' struggles began to grow feeble after only a minute and, finally, her knees buckled and she slumped back against Ami, who lowered her to the floor. She quickly bound the Senshi with the duct tape, knowing Mars would know better than to try to release herself by burning through it. Mars knew she couldn't control her powers with that degree of finesse. If she tried anything, she risked burning down the house. She would have no choice but to wait for the cavalry, which, without doubt, was on it's way.

A second pair of footsteps sounded. Ami pushed the unconscious Sailor Mars into the closet, effectively hiding her. She stood and drew her revolver as Sailor Moon entered the room.

"Mars." The blonde whispered fiercely, "Are you in here? Mars? Where are you? I can't find Ami anywhere."

"Did you look behind you?"

Moon spun as Ami swung, clubbing the woman with her weapon and knocking her unconscious. She stared down at Sailor Moon's prone form and felt rage fill her. Why couldn't they just leave her alone? Did they think she enjoyed this. What she did, while distasteful, was necessary. Who knew how many lives had been saved since she started her work and if saving countless innocent lives meant taking one guilty one, there was no question, no choice, no option, as to what had to be done. Why couldn't they understand that?

She stared at the gun in her hand. She had an idea. She'd show them and make them understand.

1-1-1-1

Moon woke with a powerful headache. She felt like she had been hit by a truck and tried to raise a hand to comfort the lump on her forehead but found she couldn't move either of her hands. She was bound to a support beam and low to the floor, forcing her to kneel. One arm was bound behind her back while the other was bound across her chest and, taped tightly to her hand, was the revolver Ami had held.

There was a rasp of metal on stone.

"So," Ami said causally while sharpening her knife, "You're awake."

"Ami? What are you doing? Where's Mars? What have you done with her?"

"Mars? Oh, shes' fine. She's fine, you're fine, I'm fine. The only one who's not fine is him." Ami pointed with her blade to the bloody man in the bathtub, "Not much longer for this world, I'm afraid." She said with a sigh.

"Why are you doing this?"

"Because of what he did to me."

"I know what he did to you, Ami. I know he hurt you and I cannot begin to tell you how sorry I am that happened but this is not the answer."

Ami sighed and said in a long suffering voice, "Then what is?"

"Animals like him belong behind bars."

"We've already tried that and, thanks to Setsuna, that will never happen."

"Then maybe it's time to take the high road. Maybe it's time to forgive."

Ami blinked, "Forgive?"

Moon nodded.

"You can't be serious. What he did, what they do, is unforgivable."

"So is murder."

Ami put the whetstone back in her pocket, "I've learned something very important. There are always consequences to each person's actions. Yes, I can 'forgive' my father and spare his life but how many others will I unwittingly condemn to a fate worse than death?"

"What are you talking about?"

Ami smiled, "You will understand. I will show you. The gun in your hand is loaded and you have a choice to make. You can save his life but, in order to do so, you must kill me. That is one choice. The other is to not shoot and spare me but could you really live with yourself knowing you could have done something to save him?"

Moon was in tears, "Please, Ami, don't do this."

Ami brought herself into the gun's line of fire, turned her back, and knelt to finish her work, "Somebody will die tonight, Sailor Moon, and you get to decide who it will be."

"No, Ami. Please."

"Quit whining and begging, you have very little time to decide."

"I couldn't do that to you. I can't kill you."

"Sure, you can. Just pull the trigger."

"No."

"Then, he dies. I've killed before and I expect to kill again."

Moon could barely see through the tears but she cocked the hammer.

Ami heard the metallic click, "There's a good girl."

"Ami, this is your final chance."

"You've given me a dozen so far. How might this be any different? Make your decision."

Sailor Moon whispered a quiet prayer, begging forgiveness from the Kami, and pulled the trigger. The gun did not fire.

Ami turned and flashed a smile.

"You...you said the gun was loaded." Moon whispered.

"And it is but I removed the firing pin. Really, Sailor Moon, did you think I'd actually give you a working firearm. You can't even chew gum and walk at the same time. You'd be the greatest danger here. No, the gun was for demonstration purposes only. But, now you understand. Take one life, no matter how painful that action might be, and save countless others. That's the same decision I make each time I go out. If it's any consolation, think of all the children you saved from that fate worse than death that I mentioned."

Moon looked into her eyes and Ami saw nothing but hatred there, black and pure. She laughed, "Hold onto that, Sailor Moon. Hatred is a powerful tool."

"I can't begin to tell you how much I hate you...or how much I pity you. What happened to you, Ami? What happened to that sweet, kind, compassionate girl I grew up with"

"I saw the world as it really was and, now, so have you. Welcome to the real world." Ami spun and plunged her blade into her father's chest. The body spasmed once and fell still. She stood and gathered an length of toilet paper, using it to clean her blade. She tossed the paper into the toilet and flushed it away.

"You've condemned yourself now." Sailor Moon said, "You're not wearing gloves and there's no telling how many things you've touched in this house. Your fingerprints are all over the place and the police will be all over you."

"Great thing about ceramic hands." Ami held one up for inspection, "No fingerprints. You should know by now that I think of everything." She sheathed her knife, gathered her pack, and left without another word.

1-1-1-1

"Her car is here," Venus pointed out as she and Jupiter pulled up to Ami's father's house.

"Then something's wrong. They would have answered their communicators, otherwise."

"Let's see if we can find them."

Venus followed Jupiter into the house and shared a look when they saw the door was open. They entered silently, "Moon? Mars? Are you here"

"In here."

Both heard the panic and desperation in her voice and both hurried to her aid. They found a red-eyed Sailor Moon bound on the bathroom floor next to a man's body and holding a gun.

"Jupiter, get a knife or something to cut these with."

Jupiter dashed off to see to it while Venus checked the body, "Where's Mars"

"I don't know. She went to check out the bedroom where Ami was. We've got to find her. She might be hurt."

"Just relax, Sailor Moon. We're here. It's okay. Is Ami still around?"

"She left about an hour ago. She killed her father and she tried to make me kill her." Moon said breathlessly.

"What"

"She said I'd have to choose which one of them would live. She told me it would help me to understand her position so that we'd leave her alone."

"Uh-huh." Venus took the kitchen knife from Jupiter, "Find Mars. She might be in trouble. Then what?"

"I tried to save him. I tried to shoot her and kill her but she had broken something in the gun somehow. She said I had saved a bunch of other lives by letting her kill him."

"She's insane, Moon."

"She said she had killed before and would kill again."

"Just goes to prove."

"Found Mars." Jupiter called from the other room.

"How is she?"

"She's fine. Tied up and pissed off with some bruises around her neck but otherwise fine."

Venus finished freeing Moon and opened her communicator, "Uranus, we found them but Ami's been and gone."

"And her father?" Uranus prompted.

"What do you think?"

"Right. Let's meet up back at my place and we'll figure out what to do from there."

"What about the body? Somebody's bound to discover it sooner or later and it might lead back to us."

"Find someplace to bury it but don't take too long. It'll be daylight soon and we need to regroup and plan."


	9. Condemnation

Ami cast a critical eye over her apartment. Somebody had been through here and had done an excellent job of replacing everything as it was but not good enough for someone with her eye for detail. She immediately went to her bedroom closet and pulled out her large hiking backpack, part of the camping supplies she had bought on a whim but had never used.

_What are you doing? _Hitomi asked.

"Remember when I mentioned taking a bit of a vacation and going camping. I think now is an excellent time." Ami replied, gathering her tent and portable charge, an expensive piece of equipment that provided enough electricity for her, provided it had enough sunlight. "The Senshi are getting too close and we need to vanish for the time being."

_You're not telling me you're actually afraid of those stupid cunts, are you?_

"Not afraid but wary. I used to be one of them, remember. I know what they're capable of doing. They know too much and are beginning to suspect. It's time for us to disappear for a while and maybe make this a little more permanent."

_Not living in the woods, I hope._

"Perhaps a change of scenery, a largish metropolis, big enough to disappear into but small enough to learn easily." She fished a laptop out from under her bed and placed it inside her pack, which she set by the door. She changed into jeans and flannels, setting more of the same inside her pack, and tied on a pair of hiking boots.

_Are we ready?_

"Nearly." Ami replied. She took several portable memory drives and stuffed them in her pocket before turning on her other laptop. She activated her command prompt and typed in _Activate DH_Omega_Thirteen._

_Thirteen_ was a fail-safe she designed when she first began hunting. To only be used in case she had been found, it was a sleeper virus that destroyed all of the information on a computer's hard drive by overloading the system, literally melting the components of any system it infected and making the information contained therein unsalvageable.

Immediately, the CPU began to hum, the noise increasing as the fan fought to cool the feverish system. The screen flickered and went dark just as acrid smoke began to drift from the vents. The silicone had melted, effectively killing the machine.

_That was fun_, Hitomi commented.

"Anything else you want to take?"

_No. That should do it for me._

"Are you sure? We're not coming back."

_Positive. Let's blow this roach motel._

Ami went into the kitchenette and reached into the back of the cupboard, withdrawing a bottle of whiskey, "Well, not quite blow."

She opened the bottle and grabbed a dishtowel, which was soaked in the potent alcohol. She tied the sopping rag around the neck of the bottle and lit it with a pocket lighter. The flames quickly ate at the rag and she pitched the bottle, which smashed against her desk, splashing burning liquid all over the place.

_Damn,_ Hitomi said, _if only I could cover my tracks like this._

1-1-1-1

The apartment was fully engulfed and Ami long gone by the time Haruka pulled up in her car, hoping to catch the petite rogue and deal with her. The firefighters were already working to extinguish the flames and save the other apartments in the complex. She pulled out her mobile and dialed her partner, "She's gone and she's torched her place. I don't think she intends to come back."

"Good riddance." Michiru replied.

"No, this is a problem. Not only has she vanished but she knows we're on to her. She'll be more difficult to apprehend."

"I'll call the others and let them know. Should we call the police"

"I think not. If the Senshi advertise that we have a rogue, it will cause a panic and lead to inconvenient questions. Best we keep this quiet."

"If you say so."

"I do. Besides, we're better equipped to handle this then they are. We can deal with her without their interference."

1-1-1-1

Ami didn't spare her iron horse as she rode into the mountains that lined the northern portion of Japan. Her heavy pack was secured on her back, containing everything she would need to survive outdoors for a while.

Despite what much of the world thought, her nation was not one massive metropolis and there were many isolated spots in which a person could disappear for a while. One such area was a campsite that she and her parents had visited many times. She could remember everything about it and it was close enough to a small town where she could go for supplies.

She had no fear of the police now. The proud Senshi would abhor calling in back-up of any kind, especially from civilian authorities and would try to conceal her activities as much as possible. She found it ironic that those who were trying to capture her were also assisting her.

Just as dawn was beginning to break, Ami pulled off the highway and down a smaller road that led to the town and camp.

1-1-1-1

The Senshi gathered for a pre-dawn meeting at the Outers' house. These were dangerous times and they met to discuss a subject that they had hoped would never arise. One of their own had gone rogue and could not be reasoned with. A plan was needed to deal with her.

"We can't just let her wander about." Rei pointed out.

"But what can we do about her?" Makoto asked, "She's already proven her willingness to attack us."

Minako chimed in, "And even if we found a way to put her in prison, can we guarantee that she won't find a way to break out?"

"She murdered her father and she's said she'll kill again."

"Who's to say that wasn't a bluff?"

"You didn't see her." Usagi said in a flat voice, "She was so calm, so business-like, so efficient. She knew how to cause as much pain as possible without much blood loss, keeping him alive as long as possible. Besides, we all know she doesn't bluff."

"What do you want us to do?" Haruka asked.

Usagi was silent as she thought for a moment that stretched into an eternity, "We have only one option. As much as it pains me to say this, she's given us no choice. If any of us come across her, we have to kill her."

Each of their jaws dropped as they stared at her, "Do you realize what you've just said?" Rei asked.

"Yes. It's all very clear to me now."

"What is?"

"At her father's house, Ami gave me a choice. I could save her father by killing her or let her finish and save the innocents he would have otherwise destroyed."

"Usagi," Minako said, "Ami is insane because of what her father did to her. That would have driven anybody off the edge. She needs help."

"Can't you just use the Silver Crystal and heal her?" Makoto asked.

"Heal her of what? This isn't some Youma, or possession. This is Ami. Ami is doing this. She's done it before and she'll do it again. The only way we can stop her is to kill her."

Michiru spoke in low, serious, tones, "You're right, Usagi. This is Ami, the woman who stood and fought beside us as a Senshi and, in recent years, had had her life completely uprooted as she became something else entirely. We can't just give up on her like this."

Rei squirmed uneasily and shivered. She knew that it wasn't Ami acting like this, at least, not by herself. Hitomi was either doing the work for her or putting her up to it.

"Are you absolutely certain?" Haruka asked as everyone's attention fell on their blonde leader.

Usagi had tears in her eyes but she spoke with conviction and authority, "Yes. Ami Mizuno must die."

1-1-1-1

The district of Tokyo in which Minako lived was not especially prone to crime. Still, she considered having extra locks installed for protection against a certain psychopathic cyborg. After leaving the Outers, she and the other Senshi had spread out and spent the day searching the city for Ami but to no avail. The woman had effectively vanished and though Minako doubted the deranged woman was still in the area, she could very well be lying in wait at any one of their homes.

Someone suddenly grabbed her from behind and pressed a sour-smelling cloth to her face. Her first thought was that her attacker was Ami but this individual was too tall and broad-shouldered. She held her breath as she struggled, first pushing back before surging forward, nearly breaking free. He adjusted his grip, holding her tighter. She stomped down on the toe of his boot, her heel connecting with a solid thud, but it had no effect. She kicked back against his shin with the same results.

Her body worked against her and she took an accidental breath. Her stomach churned with nausea and the room spun. She couldn't control herself as her oxygen-starved brain tried to pump in air but only got more of the powerful narcotic. Her limbs began to grow heavy and her vision dimmed. Finally she sagged forward and a voice proceeded the darkness.

"They've never fought as hard as you. You're going to be fun to break."


	10. Tetrodotoxin

It was early when Haruka tapped on Usagi's door. She had been afraid of waking the blonde but, when Usagi answered the door, it was obvious the woman hadn't slept at all. She grunted, eyes half-open.

"Hey. If you have a minute, I'd like to speak with you."

Usagi yawned and scratched at her head before gesturing for Haruka to follow. She stumbled into the living room and collapsed onto the sofa, staring at Haruka without expression.

"You look terrible." Haruka commented.

"Haven't slept at all, Ami's been weighing on my mind."

"That's actually what I want to speak to you about. Are you certain you want Ami executed?"

Usagi shook her head, "I'm not so sure. Ami is...was...a senshi. I can't say how much we owe her but she's a danger to us, herself, and society in general. We can't let her continue to do this, no matter how justified she feels her actions are. Something needs to be done about her but I doubt there is a prison in the world that could hold her." Usagi shook her head, "I don't know what to do."

"I have an idea. You're not a killer, Usagi, and killing Ami, no matter how she deserves it, would destroy you. Let someone else do it."

"I couldn't do that to any one of you. I'm the leader and it's my responsibility to deal with things like this. I know when I become Neo-Queen Serenity, I'll have to make decisions like this."

"Yes, you will, and you'll also have to delegate some to those decisions to us, your senshi. Usagi, let me take care of Ami."

Usagi blinked and rubbed her brow, "You actually _want_ to kill Ami?"

Haruka shook her head, "No but I'd rather I do it than let you. I know I'm tough enough to handle it the consequences. You're not."

Usagi leaped to her feet, "I am _so_ tough enough."

"Odango, this isn't a contest. You don't know what taking a life does to a person. It's indescribably hard and it's obvious what even _considering_ such an action has done to you. Imagine, just imagine, what you'll feel like when you actually follow through with it."

"What about you? Are you sure it won't affect you?"

"It'll affect me but I can handle it better than you can. I have strength that you don't."

Usagi sat back, deep in thought, and stared at Haruka, "Are you certain you can handle this?"

"Beyond a shadow of a doubt."

Usagi nodded slowly, "Alright but I want to try to reason with her one more time. I still think Ami is in there somewhere. If she wasn't, she would have killed both Rei and I when we were at her father's. She might have even stuck around to take care of Makoto and Minako when they showed up but she didn't. Yes, she crippled us so that we couldn't stop her but she let us live. I think Ami, as she was, is in there and she can be reasoned with but, if I'm wrong, I want you there to take her out. You're the final option."

Haruka bowed, "Understood, Usagi-sama." Haruka now had an incredible amount of new found respect for her leader and was certain that the future Crystal Tokyo could not ask for a more capable queen.

1-1-1-1

Rei dialed her phone for the second time in as many hours. She was trying to find Minako, who had vanished. She had already dialed Makoto, who promised to stop by Minako's apartment on her way to work and check up on the blonde.

Most likely, Minako had simply had a late night of her flirting and partying and was sleeping off another hangover but Rei had heard, recently, about a serial killer that preyed on young blondes. For the past several years, blonde women had been disappearing from different parts of the city and reappearing a few days later, dead. The women looked like they had spent the intermittent time being tortured to fulfill some sick freak's sexual desires. If Minako was in the hands of that bastard...Rei didn't know what she would do if she lost another friend.

No matter how she tried, she couldn't shake the feeling that something horrible had happened to Minako and her friend was in terrible danger. She paced her room in the shrine, impatiently waiting for Makoto to call and, hopefully, confirm Minako's condition as simply intoxicated.

Rei's phone buzzed and she snatched it off of her hip, "Makoto, tell me you've found her."

"I wish I could. I found her door open and her apartment was empty. It doesn't look like there was a struggle but she wasn't there. Her car is still there but she isn't. There's some sort of weird chemical smell about the place."

"What sort of chemical smell?"

"How should I know? Ami was the one who was good at that kind of stuff."

"Alright, keep an ear to the ground and call me if you find anything else out."

"Are you sure you're okay?"

"I'm afraid for her. There's that serial killer and Ami's still on the loose. Minako could be in real danger."

"Minako is also a senshi and can handle herself. I'm sure, wherever she is, she's okay. Hell, you know her, she probably went to some club, met a guy, came back here to drop off her car, and spent the night at his place."

"I hope you're right." Rei said and shut the phone. She turned and left her room, going into the main sanctuary that housed the Sacred Fire. She knelt before it, not even bothering to change into her robes, and began chanting. She concentrated on Minako's face as she chanted. Despite being so close to the roaring flames, a great chill grew in the pit of her stomach and spread throughout her veins. She could feel the Third Eye pulse behind her brow as disembodied screams and sobs filled her ears. She could see Venus' henshin wand and communicator gripped in a blood-soaked hand.

She heard a low harsh voice, "_The_ Sailor Venus. This is truly an honor and a pleasure to have the opportunity to break you."

Rei felt a sharp pain in her throat as her muscles spasmed. She couldn't move, couldn't escape. All she knew was pain and frightening hopelessness. Rei pulled herself out of the trance before she went too deep. She was drenched in a cold sweat and her entire body ached from the strain but her question had been answered. Minako was at the mercy of a madman.

1-1-1-1

In her literal corner of the woods, Ami sat back, collecting information on where she planned to go next. She and Hitomi had discussed it and came to the agreement that their time in Japan was coming to a close. Because of their activities and the senshi, they would be forced to move elsewhere if they wished to continue such activities. Ami was already fairly fluent in German and English so Europe and North America were both good possibilities.

With her money and her resources, the options were literally endless. She had several identities on standby, ready and waiting in a strongbox. All she needed to do was access it, clear her accounts, and she could be on the next plane to wherever she chose. She only needed to clear up Ishiguro and Killer and she was done with Japan and the Senshi.

1-1-1-1

The senshi had gathered at the temple. Rei took a head count and, minus Setsuna, Minako, and, of course, Ami, everyone had arrived. Rei paced while everyone got settled but a sudden noise caused them all to turn.

"Sorry, sorry, I'm late." Setsuna trotted in and sat down.

Jaws hit the floor around the room. Setsuna scanned the faces around her, not quite comprehending what the problem was, "What?"

"Are you a ghost?" Haruka asked, earning a swat from Michiru.

"What she means, Setsuna, is that you had died. Did you pull some kind of time trick to reverse that?"

Setsuna shook her head, "No need. I simply didn't die."

Michiru blinked, "But, I saw you myself. The doctors checked your vitals and pronounced you dead."

"Oh, okay, now I understand. Whenever I'm badly injured, like what Ami did to me, I inject myself with Tetrodotoxin. A Voodoo priestess taught me how to make it about five hundred years ago. What it does is, temporarily, shut my body down. It slows my heart rate, my metabolism, and my respiration to a near-death state. That's probably what confused the doctors.

"Anyways, when the drug takes full effect, the Garnet Orb immediately sends me to the Crystal Palace's infirmary. You won't believe how advanced their medicine is compared to here."

"So you weren't actually dead?"

"No. The drug puts me in a near-death state so that my body can focus less on usual tasks and more on healing. But, here's the kicker, while I was in the infirmary, I noticed the woman caring for me was, believe it or not, Ami."

"What?" Usagi asked incredulously.

"I know but, then, it all clicked into place. The Tetrodotoxin, you see, is the key. If we can, somehow, inject Ami with Tetrodotoxin, we can shut her down for a while."

"But, what about when she wakes up? How can we make sure she won't start killing again?"

"That's the beautiful thing. The main side effect of Tetrodotoxin is a severe amnesia. With any luck, she'll completely forget about what she's been doing."

"How?"

"Don't you see, Usagi-chan," Makoto said, "we put that tetrodo-stuff in Ami, she drops. When she gets back up in...how long, Setsuna?"

"About twenty-four hours."

"Twenty-four hours, she'll have completely forgotten everything about herself. So, you send her memories, minus the whole killing thing-"

Usagi's eyes lit up, "And we'll have Ami-chan back!"

"And Hitomi will be gone!" Rei cheered.

They all turned to face her, "Who?"

Rei paled when she realized what she had nearly done, "Nothing. Forget it. How do we inject her with the Tetrodotoxin?"

Setsuna smiled, "I have that taken care of." She stepped outside for a moment and returned with a long, black, case. "I picked this up before I left Crystal Tokyo." She opened the box and quickly assembled an air rifle. "This is capable of firing a tranquilizer dart a distance of three hundred meters. I'll load the darts with the Tetrodotoxin, put one in Ami, and she'll drop like a rock. We pack her up, stash her somewhere until she wakes up, and put Humpty-Dumpty's memory back together again."

Usagi leaped out of her seat and embraced Setsuna tightly, lifting the woman off of the ground, "Setsuna, I love you. You are the most beautiful woman in the whole world, now and forever." Setsuna was blushing as she was set back down. Usagi turned to Haruka, "You don't have to kill Ami, now."

"Thank the Kami." Haruka confirmed, visibly relieved.

"But, Setsuna, if the Tetrodotoxin causes amnesia," Michiru asked, "how is it that you still have your memory?"

Setsuna snorted, "I've been using the stuff for the past five hundred years. I've long since learned to leave things that would spark my memory."

Haruka stood and clapped her hands, "So, it's decided. We catch Ami, keep her still until Setsuna can come in and prick her-" Haruka giggled and was swatted a second time, "-and we _won't_ have to kill her. Now, Rei, what did you call us here for?"

Rei sat up and took a deep breath, "Minako is in terrible danger. She's disappeared and I think she's been kidnapped. Makoto went by her apartment. She found the door open and there was some kind of chemical smell.

"I had a vision of Minako. I saw a hand holding her wand and communicator and saying how much of a pleasure and honor it was to 'break' Sailor Venus. I think she might have been taken by that serial killer that's been preying on blondes."

Usagi looked ready to cry, "What do we do?"

Makoto swallowed, "I think...we...need help."

"Help from who?"

"Let's not forget that we know of someone who's assistance in this matter might prove to be invaluable. We need to get into contact with her anyways."

Haruka nodded, "Who better to catch a fox than _the_ fox?"

Usagi dug in her pocket and pulled out her senshi communicator, "I hope Ami still has hers."


	11. Deals With The Devil

Something buzzed in Ami's pack. Curious, she opened it and began to dig, finally pulling her old Senshi communicator. It hummed gently in the palm of her hand as she contemplated answering it.

_What do they want,_ came Hitomi's contemptuous voice.

"Dunno. Maybe they're trying to track me."

_Can they track you through that thing?_

"Yes but they shouldn't have to set a line."

_Why do you still have it?_

Ami shrugged, "Just forgot about it." She opened the communicator and her expression darkened, "What do you want?"

"Please, Ami, hear me out." Usagi begged, "Don't hang up. We need your help."

"I know you guys are after me. Is this just a play to capture me?"

"Ami, please, we need your help."

"You said that already."

"Damn it, Ami! Shut up and listen to me!"

Ami was somewhat surprised by Usagi's tone, "You have my attention."

"Minako's missing. She's been taken by a serial killer, some guy who hunts blondes."

"And you need me to hunt this guy down and rescue her before he kills her. How long has she been gone?"

"Uh...I don't know...maybe, twelve hours."

"Then we have, at most, thirty-six hours to find her before he kills her."

"How do you know?"

"Because I've been chasing him for years. Stand by, I'm on my way."

"How long will it take you to get here?"

"As long as it takes. And Usagi? If this _is_ a double-cross, I'll kill all of the others before you. Just so you can hear them scream."

1-1-1-1

"She's coming." Usagi informed her Senshi.

"How long?" Haruka asked

"She said she'd get here when she gets here. She also says that, if she smells a double-cross, she'll leave Minako to her fate and kill the rest of us herself. Setsuna, are you ready?"

The woman looked up from the table where she had been filling darts with the Tetrodotoxin, "I'll be ready to roll in a few hours."

"Good. After that, I want you to take your gun and make yourself scarce. Ami thinks you're dead and I want to make sure it stays that way. Pick yourself out a good perch where you have a good shot through that window." She ordered, pointing.

Setsuna nodded with a smile, "By your command, my queen."

Haruka nudged Michiru, "Our little princess is growing up."

"Yes and I can't tell you how proud I am."

1-1-1-1

Ami's bike hummed to a halt outside of the shrine. The windows were all lit, glowing in the night. She dismounted and circumnavigated the stairs. Climbing the fence, she dropped onto the property and scaled the hill, doing all she could to stay out of the line of sight of the windows.

She crouched down in the foliage around the shrine. She didn't want anyone to see her entering the shrine, not for theatrics but in case they had a trap waiting. She wanted to be inside before they noticed her, preferably with a hostage, to make certain they played by _her_ rules.

She scaled a large tree that hung over the shrine's roof. Crawling out onto a branch, she dropped onto the sloped tiled roof She belly-crawled to the very edge of the roof and peered over. Now, all she needed was some unsuspecting senshi, preferably Minako, to wander out for fresh air.

1-1-1-1

Tension mounted as the Senshi waited for Ami. Haruka paced by the door while Michiru continually fidgeted in a chair. Usagi had spoken to Ami three hours before and as time continued to pass, they became more and more anxious.

Rei let out a low growl as she stood, "I'm going outside. I need to breathe."

"Be careful." Usagi warned. Rei waved over her shoulder as she left the room.

"I wonder where Ami's been, all this time." Makoto said aloud.

"Who cares. I just want her to get back here so we can deal with her." Usagi said.

"Is that so?"

Rei stood in the archway, stiff and still. Glinting with the light, a blade was pressed against her throat, one held by Ami. All of the Senshi froze as she nudged Rei into the room.

"How would you like to deal with me?"

"Ami, relax. We need your help. Why would we try to do something?"

"Because there's six of you and only me. Speaking of which, where's Minako?"

"Minako's in danger. She was taken by the same serial killer that you've been chasing."

Ami cocked an eyebrow, "Right," she drawled, "An extremely powerful and experienced Senshi is taken down and kidnapped by one cowardly murderer. Anybody else see something wrong with this picture?"

"We think she was taken by surprise." Michiru explained, "She was grabbed from behind and drugged."

Ami laughed, "Please, I'm almost insulted-"

"Every minute we spend bickering like children is one less minute Minako has to live." Usagi snapped, "You said we only have thirty-six hours until he kills her so we need to get to work. Ami, let Rei go and get your psychotic ass over here."

Surprised, Ami removed her knife and stepped around Rei, who didn't move. She came around the table and leaned toward Usagi, glaring at her. Usagi met Ami's glare without flinching.

Ami grunted, "Somebody's grown a pair. Fine, I'll find Minako for you. But, you must agree to one condition first. I bring Minako back, dead _or_ alive, and you leave me alone. No more chases, no more visits, nothing."

"Agreed." Usagi replied immediately.

Ami smirked, "Alright. Get me a map of the city."

Usagi looked around at the Senshi, "You heard her."

1-1-1-1

The rest of the Senshi had taken up guard positions around the room and tried to ignore the contemptuous smirks Ami kept throwing over her shoulder as she studied the maps with Usagi. They made quick progress as she plotted where the bodies had been found. With Ami, the senshi got a glimpse into the dark world of murder.

Ami explained that, in order to avoid detection, murderers would only transport a body far enough to keep it from linking back to them. She poured over the news accounts of each body, dating as far into the past as possible, and marked the location of each body on the map. The pattern that appeared before her was surprising. She plotted lines connecting each of the dump sites and circled the hub where all of the lines intersected.

"Remarkable." Usagi said, staring at the map.

"He has to be originating from somewhere within this circle." She tapped the hub with her pen, "There's only a few buildings within this perimeter. I'll need to search them, one by one."

"Can't you get any more specific?"

Ami shook her head, "No. Frankly, I'm surprised I can get this specific."

"It's like he wants to be caught."

"Most killers _do_ want to be caught."

"Can we help you?"

"Absolutely not. I, alone, will be less noticeable while you and your senshi will rampage through there like a bunch of mad bulls. You'll probably get us all killed. I will, however, need a car."

"Why?"

"How would it look if I was riding down the street on my bike with a half-conscious woman aboard?"

"Take mine." Haruka tossed her keys across to Ami, "One scratch."

She sneered at Haruka, "Whatever."

"What do you want _us_ to do?" Usagi asked.

"Stay here. I'll be bringing her back to here to drop her off but I won't be sticking around. I don't want to take the chance that you've cooked something up with your new found spine."

She nodded, "Alright. Would you do us the favor of calling when you're on your way back?"

Ami looked up and, when she spoke, her voice was full of suspicion, "Why?"

"So we'll know Minako is okay."

"Oh I very much doubt she'll be 'okay'. Alive, maybe, but not okay. And, no, I won't call you. I'll knock on the door so you'll know she's here but nothing else."

Usagi sighed, "Fine. Just go and find my Senshi. And Ami, take care of her. I'm trusting you, though I don't know why."


End file.
